A/N: In the chapter Grissom and Sara allude to a trip they took to Red Rock Canyon. You can read about it in another story of mine called Man's Best Friend. They shared their first kiss there.
"We're going on a canoe trip?" Sara exclaimed excitedly, before casting a look around the breakfast room self-consciously.
Feeling rather smug at her reaction, Grissom laughed. "Well…no," he said, playfully pausing between the words for effect, and finished spreading raspberry jam onto his piece of toast.
"We're not going on a canoe trip?" There was no mistaking the disappointment or confusion in her voice.
Slowly he shook his head and cut his piece of toast in half. "But close." After putting his knife down, he picked up the toast and looked up. Her brow pinched, she was watching him with intent and he gave her a smile. "We're going on a kayak tour."
Sara stared at him with puzzlement. "Same thing," she said, dismissively, her wide smile returning.
Grissom frowned. "Well, no," he said, taking a bite out of his toast. "Not quite."
Pulling a face at him, Sara tore into her Danish.
"It's not," he insisted, and finished chewing. "Canoes and kayaks have very different shapes and very different sitting positions," he added, waving his toast in the air. "Notwithstanding the number of blades on the paddle. The kayak paddle is double-bladed while the canoe paddle is not."
Sara's eyebrows lifting, she put a morsel of Danish into her mouth. "You seem to know a lot about it."
His smug smile returning, he raised his shoulder casually. "I have done a little canoeing before."
Her lips twitched mischievously as she ate. "But I thought you just said we were going kayaking."
"Same difference," he said, with a sulky twist of the mouth.
Sara burst out laughing, and he did too.
"When?" she then asked. Picking up her cup of coffee, she took a careful sip. "When did you go canoeing?"
He finished the last of his toast. "Oh, years ago. Before we met. Way back when, you know."
Frowning, she put her cup down. "When you were young?"
He pulled a face at her undisguised sarcastic tone. "Yeah, when I was young." He smiled at the happy recollections. "I was working in Minnesota. It must have been my third year there?" He shrugged. "Anyways, I spent a month in Wheelers Point studying post-mortem interval and rates of decay on submerged and partially submerged bodies."
"Wheelers Point? Never heard of it."
"You wouldn't have. It's a small incorporated community on the shore of Lake of the Woods, right on the border with Ontario. Beautiful place, it was."
"You never mentioned it," she said, her expression serious now, interested.
He shrugged. "As you said, it was a long time ago."
"And you used canoes, not boats?"
"Canadian canoes. They create less water disturbance than boats, so we used them to get real close to the corpses." Feeling someone watching him, he paused, but when he looked over Mrs Garcia walked away. "So," he then asked, thinking nothing of it, turning back to Sara. "What about you? You been canoeing before?"
"Nope. Or kayaking for that matter."
He gave her a grudging smile. "Next time, we'll go canoeing. You can see the difference for yourself."
"I look forward to it," she said, a wide smile dancing on her lips. "I just hope no one suspects anything back at the lab, or there mightn't be any more trips."
"They won't. We're hiding in plain sight, remember? And we're good at it too." Sara made an unconvinced sound, and he reached for her hand on the table, squeezed it. "Let's not worry about work, alright? Let's just…make the most of today. There should be plenty of wildlife to look at, sea birds and sea lions definitely, but maybe also dolphins and whales. Southern California has some of the largest dolphin and blue whale populations in the world. Hopefully, they'll come out to play for us."
Sara gave an enthusiastic nod before downing the last of her coffee. "So come on then," she said, grabbing the room keys from the table and pushing to her feet. "You go settle the bill and do whatever business you need to do with Mrs Garcia while I go get ready." She leaned down to kiss him on the lips, then with a happy smile turned on her heels and went on her way. Grissom hurriedly ate the croissant still waiting on his plate, finished his coffee, then picked up Sara's unfinished Danish and ate that too. God knows he would need all his strength and stamina for the day ahead.
At ten on the dot, Grissom and Sara presented themselves to Fisherman's Cove, one beach further south from Shaw's Cove where they'd spent the previous day, where they were due to launch from. Because it was south facing, the waves were small, the surf perfect for safe launching and landing. Grissom had packed the lunch Mrs Garcia had provided, as well as water, a beach towel, his camera and a couple of sweaters they could put on should the breeze turn stronger and colder while they were out at sea, in one of the trash bags and then stowed the trash bag inside the backpack he was carrying. He would put the backpack in the second trach bag lest it got wet while they were at sea.
Fisherman's Cove had a steep drop-off near the shore and a sharp rocky bottom in many places and they picked their step carefully. A few people were already gathered at the water's edge, talking to the female guide. Eight brightly coloured ocean kayaks and a stack of life vests and paddles awaited nearby. They made their way forward to introduce themselves, and the guide checked her list, cheerfully welcoming them. Bernadette had an easy smile and a friendly, inviting personality, and she couldn't wax lyrical about the impending tour enough.
While they waited for a couple more people to arrive, Sara walked over to study the kayaks and discreetly he made sure Bernadette knew of the particulars of his booking. Satisfied, he joined Sara and lifting his hat to scratch his head cast his eye out, staring at the expanse of dark blue Pacific Ocean stretching as far as he could see. He watched as a sailboat glided across the horizon a long way away, its sails full, the strong sea wind propelling it south toward the Mexican waters.
Bernadette gathered the group and went through the safety talk before explaining how to launch and paddle the kayak safely and effectively. After donning the mandatory red life vests, they were all allocated an ocean kayak, in Grissom and Sara's case a bright yellow one. Sharing a giddy smile, they each took a paddle from the stack, and after half pushing the kayak out into the water Sara carefully stepped on, taking her place at the front, while Grissom sat at the back. Gently, they got afloat and, when everyone had joined Bernadette's side on the water, they went on their way.
The ocean was calm, the kayak and their paddling steady. As noiselessly they glided along the coast, Bernadette would stop and point out sights of particular interest or beauty. Her knowledge of the local area, fauna and flora was extensive and Grissom and Sara were enthralled. The colours all around were vibrant, the smell intoxicating. They hugged the contoured coastline at first, marvelled at the green hills beyond, saw for themselves the abundant marine life in the pristine clear waters.
Every so often, they came across paddle-boarders or lone kayakers that would acknowledge their presence with a nod. It almost felt like they all belonged to a special club, a group of people that made one with nature and their surroundings. It was so calm, so peaceful out there, so soothing. Grissom found the experience almost therapeutic and he wished he and Sara didn't have to go back to Vegas so soon.
Bernadette headed further offshore, and they all followed. They weren't disappointed there either, as soon he saw a couple of splashes nearby, as if a bird had dived into the water, before a head popped up out of the water and then another and another, fun-loving sea lions seemingly watching them float by. He laughed. Sara turned around and pointed, making sure that he'd seen them, and they shared a long look and a happy smile. Silently, they paddled on around a small rocky island inhabited by tens of sea lions sunning themselves.
"Oh, my God, Gil. Look!" Sara exclaimed out of the blue, pointing to their right.
He turned to look, squinting into the sun, seeing only splashing at first until, a wide smile forming, he glimpsed at a pod of dark grey dolphins swimming between them and the shore, coming up to the surface to breathe before diving back into the water. Bernadette raised her paddle in the air, and everyone stopped to watch, entranced. A few of the dolphins ventured even closer, playing alongside them, swimming underneath the kayaks, much to the group's obvious delight. To be so close to them, especially seeing them in their natural setting, was just an amazing experience.
"Those are coastal bottlenose dolphins," Bernadette told the group quietly. "They're smaller than the dolphins you find offshore."
"They're naturally very curious animals," Grissom told Sara in a whisper.
"They're beautiful," she said, smiling at him over her shoulder.
He smiled back at her, happy that she was enjoying herself, that the tour was everything he'd hoped it would be, that yet again they were making memories they could treasure. Belatedly, he remembered he'd brought the camera. Carefully, he wedged the paddle against his waist and reached forward for the backpack. He rolled down the first trash bag, opened the backpack and then took the camera out of the second trash bag. He managed to take a few shots of the dolphins, one of Sara smiling widely, her expression intent as she watched them swim away. When they were gone, Bernadette called to the group that it was time to start heading back and he put the camera away.
"Are you going to be all right from here?" Bernadette asked, coming over.
"Sure," Grissom replied, while Sara turned a puzzled frown toward the pair.
"Okay then. I'll see you back at Fisherman's Cove no later than three pm," Bernadette said, with a meaningful look.
Grissom gave a nod.
"We don't want to have to send out a search party."
He smiled. "You won't have to."
"And watch out for the tide."
"We will."
"And no further than—"
"— Two Rock Point," he said, pointing to the cliff jutting out to sea up ahead. "I remember."
"Or you won't get back in time. Okay, then," Bernadette said, paddling away. "Enjoy your picnic."
Sara raised her paddle. "Thanks." And then staring at Grissom with confusion, "We're not going back with the group?"
"It would appear not," he said, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips.
"Gil?"
His smile widened giddily. "There should be a beach just around the corner. One that only exists at low tide. Or should do," he added with a lift of the shoulder. "If I got it right. We're going to land there and have lunch. And then leisurely head back the way we came."
"In time for three, huh?"
"Exactly."
A knowing smile formed. "And lunch. Courtesy of Mrs Garcia?"
He bowed his head in acquiescence. "Indeed."
Sara stared at him with disbelief for a long while before she turned forward again. Grissom put his paddle in the water, and she followed suit. They were paddling at a leisurely pace, admiring the view all around, when a sea lion popped its head right in front of them.
"They get so close you can almost touch them," Sara said, laughing.
"That's what I'm afraid of. I hope they stay away or we won't have a moment's peace."
"We're invading their territory, Gil, not the other way around."
He pursed his mouth. "Still."
They reached the beach's shore, but landing wasn't easy on account of the uneven, rocky ground. Stronger waves were crashing against the rock at this point too, precariously swaying the kayak back and forth. Sara stood up to get off, putting one foot on a rock sticking out of the water. She was moving her second foot when the kayak pitched sideways and she lost balance, slipping off the rock and kayak into the water with a splash. Grissom just about managed to stay afloat.
"You hurt?" he asked, pinching his lips to curb his amusement. He made to stand on the kayak to go to her rescue but thought better of it when it began to rock even more.
Sara began to laugh, and he did too.
"I'm okay," she said, ungainly pushing to her feet, the water coming up to just above her ankles. "Just wet."
"I brought a towel," he said helpfully.
"Did you…anticipate I would fall in?"
He shrugged. "You'll soon dry in this heat."
"And so will you!" she said, suddenly splashing water at him with the paddle.
"Oh, no, you don't!" he called, paddling backwards out of reach, avoiding most of the water.
Giving up, she tossed the paddle onto the beach and clambered out of the water. Carefully, warily, he paddled as close to the shore as he could and after pretending to splash him again Sara pulled the front of the kayak onto the sandy beach between two rocks. After passing her the backpack, he disembarked, getting his feet a little wet but not much else.
With a shake of the head, she took off her life vest, tossing it on a nearby dry rock and he could only stare transfixed at the sight before him. Sara's T-shirt was wet through, her shorts too, clinging to her body in all the right places. It was a great shame she was wearing her swimsuit underneath, he thought, feeling himself stir. He watched as without wasting time she toed off her running shoes, removed her shorts and t-shirt and lay everything out to dry in the sun.
"Gil?"
Startling, he gave his head a shake.
"Towel?"
"Sure."
Quickly, he unpacked the backpack and handed the towel over to her. They pulled the kayak all the way out of the water, then made themselves comfortable on the beach. Grissom took off his life vest and T-shirt but not his sneakers and went off to explore. There was a shallow cave but the beach wasn't otherwise that large and he was back promptly. Sara was lying on the towel, sunning herself, her eyes closed behind her sunglasses. She looked at peace and relaxed, her earlier misadventure seemingly forgotten. The sight made him smile.
"You hungry?" he asked.
"I'm starving."
Grissom unpacked the picnic, finding a couple of plastic forks and plates in the mix. Sara sat up, making space for him on the towel, and they shared out the food, eating it silently, introspectively, simply content to stare out to sea or watch the wildlife going about their daily business around them. Mrs Garcia had put in a slice of quiche each and some pasta salad, as well as a selection of vegetables to snack on and a large bag of potato chips. There was a packet of cookies too, but they decided to keep them for later.
After an hour or so, Grissom noticed that the beach was gradually getting smaller, the rocks disappearing underwater until they were fully submerged. It was time to head back. Sara's clothes were mostly dry, but not her running shoes, so she decided to go barefoot while her footwear continued to dry on the kayak. Grissom packed up while she got dressed and carefully they launched the kayak again. They paddled out, soon finding a steady rhythm against the rising tide and the wind blowing in their face.
Grissom kept his eyes on the cliffs, making sure they never drifted too far from the shore, carefully counting the coves and beaches, ticking off the landmarks he'd memorised on the way up so that they didn't overshoot their destination. He needn't have worried for eventually they spotted Bernadette making her way back with another group and joined her.
When finally they landed back at Fisherman's Cove and returned the equipment they'd borrowed, Grissom was tired and rather sore. He stretched his shoulders and legs while Sara put her running shoes back on. He'd had a great time, didn't regret a single second of it, but he wasn't as young as he'd like to be and he wished his body hadn't chosen that moment to remind him.
Standing up, Sara wrapped her arms around him for a long hug. "Thank you for a wonderful time," she said, pulling back. "I think this is the best outdoor experience I've ever had."
"Better than Red Rock Canyon?" He crouched down to remove the backpack out of its protective cover, then standing with a wince slung the bag over his shoulder and after thanking their guide one last time they began trudging their way up the beach back to the road.
"Better than Red Rock Canyon," she replied assuredly.
"How so?" he asked, surprised.
"It's just…I'm in a much better place in my life," she finally replied, taking his hand in hers. "I'm more content. More fulfilled. More confident with my life and where it's going." She looked over to him and shrugged. "I don't have to worry about—" Her words trailed off.
He scoffed. "Me? You mean me, don't you?"
Her shoulder lifted again, but a smile tugged at her lips and he knew the answer to be yes. "Now, I'm happy," she said. "What we have, what we share makes me happy. The happiest I've ever been in my life." She gave him an uncertain smile. "There was no what ifs today, there was no hoping for things that might never happen and chastising myself for it. It's just all…happening."
His smile faded. He knew her words weren't meant to be a dig at him, that she was just being honest and talking from the heart, but thinking of the years they'd wasted – he'd wasted – by not acting on his feelings for her sooner made him feel sad. She'd had a place in his heart ever since he'd met her, but for far too long he'd denied himself that love even when – especially when – he knew it was reciprocated.
"Only Hank was missing today," she said, drawing him out of his thoughts.
He gave her hand a squeeze. "Next time I'll find us a different type of accommodation and we'll bring him."
Her smile grew. "He can sit in the canoe!"
Smiling, he stopped walking and she followed suit hesitantly before turning toward him. He met her gaze and lifted his hands to her face, cupping it gently as his lips met hers for a soft kiss.
"Thank you for being patient," he said, catching his hat before it fell as he pulled back, "and waiting for me."
A playful smile formed, lighting her eyes. "It was worth it."
Little did they know that their idyllic vacation was about to take a turn for the worse.